Functional neuroanatomy of developmental changes in face processing

The findings from this proposal will be integral in establishing the normal pattern of brain development for face recognition, given that few studies have done so to date. Moreover, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can reveal large-scale functional connectivity patterns among brain regions involved in face processing, and the present study will investigate whether connectivity patterns undergo developmental reorganization. This line of inquiry is important for establishing a baseline to interpret brain connectivity patterns in individuals with difficulties in face recognition, such as people with autism.